


Magnets

by LilliRonan



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Implied Relationships, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 07:39:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4296294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilliRonan/pseuds/LilliRonan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Natasha thinks the reason I'm always picking fights with you is because we're sexually frustrated towards each other. Says opposites attract and we're definitely magnetized."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magnets

Tony was more than a little fed up with the treatment he'd been getting ever since the Ultron incident. Apparently one little world destroying robot of a mistake was all it took for your teammates to lose any scraping of faith they had in you altogether. Go figure. 

That's how they got here--another explosive argument between himself and Steve Rogers (no one was surprised, least of all themselves). 

"You built a machine that could have extinguished the entire human population! That isn't a joke Tony!" Steve was ranting at him. Tony chose this moment to gain a growing interest in his nail beds. 

"Technically Ultron built himself." He amended, face deadpan as he raised his eyes to meet the other hero's angry blue. Apparently yet another one of his attempts at humor would be written off again. 

"Tony." Steve's voice was low and thin, like he was having trouble breathing, having trouble getting the words out, "You're a threat to others. You can't even tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Just because your machine didn't work-"

Tony barked out a sharp laugh that felt cold in his stomach and lacked any humor, "Ultron didn't fail. He saw the real threat--humanity! We are our own worst enemy!" A slow smile spread across his lips, though there was no happiness or real enjoyment in his eyes. He felt a little dead if he was being honest, and this fight was only making him feel worse. He didn't know what was more harmful to his already wounded mental health; his own guilt or the disappointment his friends had in their eyes every time they looked in his direction.

Steve's face dropped just then--crumpled in on itself in a way Tony had never seen before. I made his chest ache, a stone dropping into the pi of his stomach. Steve cleared his throat, "I didn't become a hero to kill people Tony."

"And you think I did?" The fake smile was suddenly gone, any ploy at humor vanished as a frown marred the brunet's face. "Do you know the first thing about me Steve?" It wasn't often that Tony called the Captain by his first name. There was always a nickname or a teasing jab in its place, and even now, in such a serious conversation, it seemed out of place--too heavy. 

Steve sighed and heft his body against Tony's kitchen counter. "You're right. I don't. But you don't exactly make it easy to get to know you. You hide everything behind your sarcasm. It's frustrating."

"You don't make it easy to open up." Tony countered, "No one could ever be as perfect as Captain America, America's first super hero!" He mimicked the museum exhibit announcer's voice, loud and booming, echoing faintly off the kitchen tiles. 

"I'm not perfect, and you know it. You know that isn't what this conversation is really about. I feel like we're talking in circles." 

"It's easy to lead a golden retriever in circles, Cap." Tony snarked, causing Steve to drop his head into his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. 

"Tony-"

"I know." The humor was gone from his voice again, but this time it also lacked the anger and bitterness it usually exuded. Instead, the tone was soft, gentle, quiet. "I'm not good at it. The sharing thing. Pepper says it's my PTSD making me like this, but I've always been this way, actually."

Steve hummed, staring at the high ceiling over him. "Natasha thinks the reason I'm always picking fights with you is because we're sexually frustrated towards each other. Says opposites attract and we're definitely magnetized." There was a lightness to his words, a half teasing tone that was just sharp enough to add bite to the words.

"Oh? And what do you think? Why are you always picking fights with me?" Tony was surprised to find himself genuinely curious. 

"We're just... different. We think differently."

"We always come to the same conclusion."

"I think that's the part that keeps me around." The admittance echoed though the words weren't loud. They caused a thrumming in Tony's ears that he soon recognized as his own heart rate. 

"I like to think that it's my delectable charm." He mentioned casually, sliding over and propping himself against the counter beside the taller man. After a moment, he added more seriously, "I don't know what you're going for with this line of conversation, but before you try and make a point, let me just warn you that I'm a twenty pound bag of issues with a fifty pound weight in the bottom. If you're trying to get into something with me-"

"I don't know what I'm trying to do with you." Steve admitted carefully, "But I do know that things can't go on this way between us anymore. We fight a little too much, and I think it's actually making your volatile quirkiness worse if that's possible."

Tony hummed in agreement, "That tends to happen when someone you're trying to get along with hurts your feelings. You pulled my pigtails, so I'm gonna pull yours back."

Steve stared at the other man blankly before a slow smile crept to his lips, "How old are we, five?"

Tong gave him the first genuine smile Steve had ever seen on him, "Love's a little easier when you're five Captain. Try and keep up, will ya?"

It took a few seconds for Steve to register Tony's words and he spluttered back, "Love? Who said anything about love? I mean, not that you're aren't, you know, lovable, but--I mean, I don't mean that I DO love you, just that--" Steve stopped his embarrassed rambling, cheeks hot, as he saw the smile on Tony's mouth grow wider. 

"I never said you did. We aren't five and love isn't easy. Doesn't mean that not-love can't grow into love though." He let his hand brush Steve's on the counter top, causing the taller man to jerk, eyes widening and cheeks burning. "Are you staying for dinner?" Tony asked, a confident and (much to Steve's discomfort and alarm) mischievous smirk curling at the corners of his lips.

Steve swallowed, "Yeah. I think I am."

**Author's Note:**

> For my girlfriend Julia. I've never written Avengers fanfiction before, but I did try. Here's the fluff you asked for.


End file.
